Pubdate: Sun, 21 Oct 2007
Source: Naples Daily News (FL)
Copyright: 2007 Naples Daily News.
Contact:  http://www.naplesnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/284
Author: Katherine Lewis
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

RED RIBBON WEEK BEGINS IN COLLIER COUNTY SCHOOLS

Week Is Dedicated To Educating Students About Living Drug Free Lives

Last year, a Collier County child went to NCH Downtown  Naples 
Hospital every 36 hours for a drug overdose.

It is a scary statistic, but what is scarier is that  two years ago, 
a child 18 or younger went to the same  hospital every third day, 
according to Circuit Court  Judge Lauren Brodie.

"The time a child is going to the hospital has been cut  in half in 
one year," she said. "The average age a  child tries drugs in Collier 
County is 12."

This week, Collier County will participate in Red  Ribbon Week. The 
goal of the event is to work toward a  drug free community.

And that is exactly the goal of Drug Free Collier,  according to Brodie.

The Red Ribbon Campaign was started when drug  traffickers in Mexico 
City murdered Drug Enforcement  Agency agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena 
in 1985, according  to the National Family Partnership, which 
sponsors the  event. It began the tradition of displaying Red 
Ribbons  as a symbol of intolerance toward the use of drugs and  to 
present a unified and visible commitment toward a  drug-free America.

The National Family Partnership estimates more than 80  million 
Americans will participate in Red Ribbon  events. The Collier County 
School District has several  events planned at different schools 
during the week,  including asking students to wear red ribbons, 
holding  contests with a drug free theme and hanging red  ribbons.

Craig Greusel, a music specialist at Lely Elementary  School and a 
prevention specialist with the district,  said Lely Elementary School 
will host its eighth annual  Red Walk from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 
Friday on the  school's campus, 8125 Lely Cultural Parkway. 
The  students will walk along a one mile path and have the  chance to 
stop at stations that emphasize reading,  writing, math, music and 
the visual arts.

"We do the serious stuff during the week, but we also  try to do a 
fun activity that stresses the positives of  prevention," he said. 
"Prevention is the key to this.  The more we understand before we try 
(drugs), we are  not going to try. Getting the positive message out 
before that fact is the key."

Nina Ribinski, the district's safe and healthy schools  coordinator, 
said that although the risks have changed,  the message of Red Ribbon 
Week stays the same.

"We want students to be healthy and drug free," she  said. "You have 
to change your focus to what is  happening in the real world. 
Steroids are becoming a  concern with our young athletes. We had an 
inhalant death of a Naples High School student last year. The  abuse 
of prescription drugs is replacing marijuana and  other drugs."

Ribinski said parents can also help students learn the  importance of 
being drug free.

"Talk to your kids. Let them know that alcohol and  drugs will cause 
them problems," she said. "Let them  know that the best way to a 
successful life is staying  drug free."

For a complete list of Red Ribbon Week activities in  Collier County 
schools, visit www.collier.k12.fl.us and  look under the CCPS News link.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman